After a dismal showing in the season opener, the Washington Huskies aim to right the ship on Saturday evening. Jimmy Lake and the Huskies entered the 2021 season with a top-25 ranking, but Washington scuffled on the way to a home loss to Montana a week ago. Now, the Huskies must face a much more talented opponent on the road, as they travel to Ann Arbor to face the Michigan Wolverines. Jim Harbaugh's team opened the 2021 campaign with a 47-point explosion in a win over Western Michigan at home.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines are 6.5-point favorites in the latest Washington vs. Michigan odds at Caesars Sportsbook. The over-under for total points is set at 48. Before making any Michigan vs. Washington picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 2 of the 2021 season on a 63-45 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Michigan vs. Washington and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Washington vs. Michigan:
- Washington vs. Michigan spread: Michigan -6.5
- Washington vs. Michigan over-under: 48 points
- Washington vs. Michigan money line: Michigan -270, Washington +220
- WASH: The Huskies are 1-4 against the spread in the last five games
- MICH: The Wolverines are 2-5 against the spread in the last seven games
Why Washington can cover
Washington's defense projects to be stellar in 2021. The Huskies led the Pac-12 in total defense last season, allowing only 346.3 total yards per game, and Washington also led the conference in passing defense, giving up only 185 yards per game. In the opener, Washington allowed Montana to generate only 10 first downs and 103 passing yards, with both marks ranking in the top 15 nationally, and the Huskies gave up only 4.6 yards per pass attempt in the game. Michigan's offense lost its top pass-catcher in Ronnie Bell (knee) last week, and the Wolverines don't have a reliable No. 1 receiver as a result.
Offensively, the Huskies certainly struggled in their opening loss, but Washington averaged more than 30 points per game last season. The Huskies also return their entire offensive line from 2020, headlined by All-Pac 12 tackle Jaxson Kirkland, and Washington tight end Cade Otton is a standout. Otton has eight career touchdowns, and he led the team with eight catches for 82 yards in the opener.
Why Michigan can cover
Michigan struggled in 2020, but the Wolverines showed quite a bit of intrigue in the opener last week. The Wolverines excelled offensively, dominating through the air and on the ground. Michigan put up 47 points while averaging 12.7 yards per pass attempt and 9.18 yards per play. In all, the Wolverines accumulated more than 550 total yards, and they kept drives alive by converting 8-of-13 on third down. Michigan's offense took a hit by losing Bell, but the Wolverines have a pair of excellent running backs in Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins to go along with strong quarterback play from Cade McNamara.
McNamara has seven touchdowns and no interceptions in his young career, and he was hyper-efficient in the opener. Defensively, Michigan held Western Michigan to just 5.2 yards per pass attempt and 3.9 yards per rushing attempt. The Wolverines can also take encouragement from Washington's overarching offensive struggles in their opening loss, including just 2.4 yards per carry against an undermanned FCS opponent.
How to make Washington vs. Michigan picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 54 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Michigan vs. Washington? And which side of the spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
